20*< 



NATURE 



[June 28, 1900 



That Article V. be approved, inserting the words : *' or as 

 soon after that date as the International Council may decide," 

 in paragraph 29, after "January i, 1901." 



That Article VI. be approved, inserting at the beginning of 

 paragraph 32, the words : " Unless the International Council 

 decide otherwise " ; 



Substituting in paragraph 34, p. 14, line 33, "instructed" for 

 "authorised." 

 That Article VII., excepting paragraph 37, be approved- 

 Omitting paragraph 35 and the next paragraph in square 

 brackets, and substituting therefor : " any body which establishes 

 a regional bureau shall be termed a contracting body." 



Omitting the words "which takes a complete share" in the 

 first line of paragraph 40, and omitting the whole of the second 

 sentence in this paragraph, and omitting the three appendices. 



(14) It was further resolved to substitute for paragraph 37, 

 Section VII., page 15, the following : — 



" That it will be an instruction to the Provisional Committee 

 to negotiate with the several contracting bodies with reference to 

 the sale in their respective regions of copies other than those 

 subscribed for by the contracting bodies." 



Que les instructions soient donnees au comite proviscire pour 

 negocier avec les differents corps contractants la question de la 

 vente dans leurs pays respectifs des exemplaires souscrits par ces 

 corps. 



Aufgabe der Provisional Committee wird es sein, den ver- 

 schiedenen contrahierenden Korperschaften (contracting bodies) 

 beziiglich des Verkaufs von Exemplaren in ihren Landern, ganz 

 abgesehen von der gewahrleisteten Anzahl, bestimmt e Festset- 

 zungen vorzuschlagen, 



(15) It was resolved that the Provisional Committee con- 

 templated in Resolution 12 (B) be constituted as follows : — Prof. 

 Armstrong, Dr. Brunchorst, Dr. Graf, Dr. Milkau, Prof. Nasini, 

 Prof. Poincare, Prof. Weiss ; power being given to the Royal 

 Society, while retaining only a single vote, to nominate further 

 members, and power being given to the Committee to appoint 

 substitutes if any of those named were unable to serve, and also 

 to co-opt two new members. 



(16) On the motion of Sir Michael Foster and Prof. Riicker, 

 it was resolved that the Royal Society be requested to appoint 

 the Secretary to the Provisional Committee, and to meet pro- 

 visionally such expenses as the Committee may incur. 



(17) It was resolved that the /ro^^j- verbal oi the Conference 

 be signed by the president and secretaries. 



(18) The Royal Society was requested to undertake the editing, 

 publication, and distribution of a verbatim report of the pro- 

 ceedings of the Conference. 



(19) On the motion of Prof. Schwalbe, a vote of thanks to 

 Sir John Gorst for presiding over the Conference was passed by 

 acclamation. 



(20) On the motion of Sir Michael Foster, the thanks of the 

 Conference were accorded to the Society of Antiquaries for the 

 use of their rooms. 



(Signed) John E. Gorst. 



Henry E. Armstrong. 

 Dr. JOH. Bernoulli. 

 G. Ciamician. 

 T. Deniker. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY CONVERSAZIONE. 

 'X'HE exhibitions at the conversazione, which took place on 

 . the 20th inst., were numerous and interesting. There 



was a great wealth of photographs, including a large collection 

 illustrating the results obtained during the last total eclipse. 

 Among the other objects exhibited were the following : — 



Prof. W. Ramsay, F.R.S., and Dr. M. W. Travers exhibited 

 the inert atmospheric gases ; their spectra, and some of the 

 apparatus used in determining their physical properties. 



The Meteorological Office exhibited North Atlantic weather 

 charts, winter, 1898-99. 



Prof. J. W. Judd, C.B., F.R.S., on behalf of the Coral- 

 Reef Committee of the Royal Society, exhibited specimens from 

 the reels of Funafuti. 



Mr. J. Mackenzie Davidson exhibited a stereoscopic fluoro- 

 scope. The stereoscopic fluoroscope is an instrument to enable 

 an observer to see the shadows cast by the Rontgen rays on 

 the fluorescent screen in stereoscopic relief. 



Prof. W. E. Dalby exhibited a model to illustrate and ex- 

 periment upon the balancing of four-cylindered engines. 



Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson, F.R.S., showed experiments 

 on the aberration called Coma. Coma is an aberration due to 

 the several zones of the lens not having equal focal lengths, 

 and hence, when the lens is transmitting an oblique pencil, the 

 unequal refraction of the different parts gives rise to a singular 

 unilateral distortion of the cones of rays traversing the various 

 zones. In these experiments, the effects are analysed by cover- 

 ing the lens with a series of zones alternately opaque and trans- 

 parent. Some singular effects can also be produced without 

 the zone plate, by inserting in the oblique pencil, after traversing 

 the lens, objects to cast shadows on a screen. In this way a 

 straight wire can be arranged so that the shadow it casts is a 

 totally-detached circle. Some diagrams of coma, and a string 

 model illustrating their origin, were also shown. 



Mr. W. Gowland exhibited Japanese books on botany, 

 intended to show the general character of the work of Japanese 

 botanists from 1759 to 1856. 



Mr. W. Gowland, for the Silchester Excavation Committee, 

 exhibited remains of a Roman silver refinery found at Silchester. 

 Mr. S. Evershed exhibited an electric supply meter (a fric- 

 tionless motor meter). 



Prof. H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S., and Mr. A. Hay showed 

 lines of induction in a magnetic field, represented by stream-line 

 flow. 



Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F. R.S., exhibited enlarged models 

 of gnats (mosquitoes) and of human blood-corpuscles infected by 

 the malaria-parasite; modelled by Miss Delta Emett. (i) 

 Female Culex pipiens, Linn., the common brown gnat or mos- 

 quito ; enlarged twenty-eight times linear. The insect is shown 

 in the act of alighting. This gnat does not harbour the malaria- 

 parasite. (2) YemaXe. Anopheles niacuIipennis,Yio^m2inseg'^,i\\Q 

 common spot-winged gnat or mosquito ; enlarged twenty-eight 

 times linear. (3) Models of human blood-corpuscles infested 

 with the malaria-parasite (aestivo-autumnal or remittent fever) 

 known as Haemomenas praecox ; magnified seven thousand five 

 hundred times linear. The blood-corpuscles are transparent, 

 and show the parasites within. The upper row shows the multi- 

 plication of the parasite within the corpuscles by fission giving 

 rise to " sporocytes," which creep into other non-infected blood- 

 corpuscles and repeat the process, thus increasing the infection. 

 The lower row shows the formation of a crescent-shaped 

 " gametocyte " within the blood-corpuscle. Instead of breaking 

 up, the parasite enlarges and becomes sausage-shaped. The 

 "gametocytes" thus formed are destined to be swallowed by 

 the gnat Anopheles, when they develop in the gnat's stomach 

 — some into eggs and some into spermatozoa. 



The Zoological Society of London showed two living female 

 crowned lemurs {Lemur coronatus), each with a young one. 



Prof. G. B. Howes, F.R.S., and Mr. H. H. Swinnerton 

 exhibited reconstructional models, built up from microscopic 

 sections, of the developing head skeleton of the New Zealand 

 reptile, Sphenodon piinctatus. 



Sir John Evans, K.C.B., F.R.S., exhibited ancient cameos 

 and gems, and palaeolithic implements from Africa. 



Prof. Wyndham Dunstan, F.R.S., exhibited the poisonous 

 lotus of Egypt {Lotus Arabicus). {a) Living plant grown at 

 Kew. (<5) Dried plants from Nubia. (<:) Specimens of the new 

 glucoside, Lotusine, and its decomposition products. 



Mr. Fred Enock exhibited an aquatic walking-stick insect, 

 with eggs {Ranaira linearis). 



The following demonstrations, with experiments and lantern 

 illustrations, took place : — 



Mr. Fred Enock, life-history of the Cicindela campestris—\.\\e 

 common tiger beetle. This common Coleopteron goes through 

 its metamorphoses in deep vertical burrows made in the sand by 

 the curious larva, which " sits" at the top of the hole, patiently 

 waiting for its prey to come to it, as it does not go in search of 

 it. Three years are passed in its subterranean den, at the lower 

 end of which it remains during the winter months in a semi- 

 torpid state ; activity is resumed at the approach of warm 

 weather. 



Prof. J. A. Fleming, D.Sc, F.R.S., demonstrations with an 

 apparatus for the production of short electric waves, and the 

 study of electro-optic phenomena. The apparatus exhibited 

 consists of a radiator for the production of a beam ot electric 

 radiation, the wave-length being about eight inches. The 

 radiator is contained in a zinc box, which prevents the diffusion 

 of the radiation in all directions. The receiver consists of a 

 metallic filings tube of the Kranly type, associated with a relay 

 and electric bell. The receiver is also contained in a zinc 



NO. 1600, VOL. 62] 



